Today (Dec. 26), just after Christmas Day came to an end, Kanye West decided to deliver a surprising message of remorse on social media.
“I sincerely apologize to the Jewish community for any unintended outburst caused by my words or actions,” read the Instagram post, which was written entirely in Hebrew and translated by Google. “It was not my intention to hurt or disrespect, and I deeply regret any pain I may have caused. I am committed to starting with myself and learning from this experience to ensure greater sensitivity and understanding in the future. Your forgiveness is important to me, and I am committed to making amends and promoting unity.”
The rift between Ye and the Jewish community began in October 2022, after the rapper-producer published a tweet that many quickly condemned as antisemitic. As REVOLT previously reported, his appearance on LeBron James’ HBO series “The Shop” was pulled for similar comments made during taping.
“After talking to Kanye directly the day before we taped, I believed he was capable of a respectful discussion, and he was ready to address all his recent comments,” said Maverick Carter, one of the show’s executive producers. “Unfortunately, he used ‘The Shop’ to reiterate more hate speech and extremely dangerous stereotypes. We have made the decision not to air this episode or any of Kanye’s remarks. While ‘The Shop’ embraces thoughtful discourse and differing opinions, we have zero tolerance for hate speech of any kind and will never allow our channels to be used to promote hate.”
Ye’s Instagram statement comes in the midst of an ongoing campaign for his and Ty Dolla Sign’s Vultures project, which has experienced multiple delays since November. While the reasons haven’t been confirmed, it was speculated that clearances were a major issue — specifically in regard to “New Body,” which was blocked by collaborator Nicki Minaj, and “Everybody,” which samples the Backstreet Boys hit of the same name. Vultures is now expected to be released on Jan. 12, 2024.